


I See The Light

by OlicityAddicted



Series: And She Will Be Loved [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, One Shot, Protective Felicity Smoak, Protective Oliver Queen, Sequel, Threats of Violence, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-19 03:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18130241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlicityAddicted/pseuds/OlicityAddicted
Summary: Set during the last chapter ofWhat About Us.Felicity discovers that an employee at Queen Consolidated is planning something bad. Before he can be questioned about it, he runs and can't be found anywhere.When he later threatens the lives of their children, Oliver and Felicity decide to take some security measures to keep their family safe.As time passes, the police still can't find the man, so Felicity takes matters into her own hands. Her actions get Oliver worried, and the result is their first big argument since they've known each other.





	I See The Light

**Author's Note:**

> **Note:** I highly suggest to read _And She Will Be Loved_ and _What About Us_ before reading this.
> 
> So here we are! It took me a while, but I finally made it and wrote the first of the few one-shots I have planned.
> 
> I know the first part of the story feels a little rushed, but it was intentional. The story is about the argument they have and how they deal with it after.
> 
> I obviously don't know how companies like Queen Consolidated work, or any kind of hacking stuff, but for the sake of this fic, let's pretend everything makes sense.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Felicity knocked on the open door and watched as Oliver raised his eyes from the documents on his desk. A smile appeared on his face.

"Hey."

"Hey." Felicity replied hesitantly. "Do you have a free minute?" A folder clutched tightly in her trembling hands.

Oliver frowned. "Of course." He stood and rounded his desk as she closed the door. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh... Not really." She started, Oliver's hands rested on her shoulders, his thumbs grazing the exposed skin on her neck to soothe her. "I mean, I'm okay and I just checked on the kids at the daycare, they're fine."

"Okay. Then why do you look so troubled?" He led her to the couch and motioned for her to sit.

"It's about QC." Felicity opened the folder in her hands. "Two weeks ago, after I returned from my maternity leave, I checked how the projects of the Applied Sciences Division were working..." She looked for a paper and when she found it she gave it to Oliver. "At first I didn't notice it, because they were all working as they were supposed to, but the more I looked into them the more something felt weird. Specifically, the security system. And then this morning I found something on Mike's computer."

"Mike from the IT Department?" He asked with a frown. The man gave him a weird vibe since the moment they told him he wasn't head of the department anymore, and they gave it to someone more capable for the job.

"Yes." Felicity confirmed.

Oliver studied the paper in his hands. There were a lot of technical words and what he guessed was coding. "I'm sure this all makes sense to you, but... I have no idea of what I'm looking at."

"Right, sorry." She shook her head and gave him another paper. "This is the code I wrote, the one that helped us to keep all of QC's contracts safe from digital attacks." She indicated the first paper again. "And this is the code that was updated during my leave. It was on Mike's computer."

Oliver confronted the two papers. It still meant nothing to him, but something clearly stood out. "Mike's code is way longer than yours."

Felicity nodded. "Yes. Basically, the code he added makes all of my coding useless, as if it wasn't even there. It means the contracts, our clients' list, the investors', anything on our servers was at risk because anyone could have easily hacked them."

Oliver's head turned sharply to look at her.

"Don't worry, I already fixed the problem and improved my code so even I would have problems hacking it. I also checked for recent attacks, but nothing happened, so I can say that everything is secure." She reassured him.

He let out a sigh. "Okay, good job. Have you talked to Mike?"

"That's another problem." Felicity looked away from him. "When I hacked into his computer to be sure he was the cause of the problem, I triggered some safety measures. His coworkers told me that he received an alert around that time and immediately ran out of his office. He's nowhere to be found."

Oliver ran his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I was so focused on finding the source that I didn't think I could alert him and make him run."

He looked at her and grabbed her hand. "Hey, it's okay. You did an amazing job finding the problem in the first place. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

Felicity huffed. "Yeah. It took me almost two weeks to realize that something was wrong... But I'm sure nothing happened, so everything and everyone is safe."

"That's what matters." Oliver reassured her. "I'll call Quentin and tell him what happened, see if he can get a warrant for this man."

→

A week passed and there were still no signs of Mike.

It was like he disappeared and Oliver's concerns grew with each passing day. He wasn't worried about the company, if Felicity told him it was secure, then he believed her, he _trusted_ her.

What worried him was Felicity. She kept blaming herself for Mike's escape, no matter how many times Oliver reassured her it wasn't her fault.

And things were about to get worse.

→

Felicity's hands trembled as she stared at the piece of paper in front of her. It felt like the Cooper situation all over again.

Her office door opening made her jump in her chair, one hand going to rest over her racing heart.

"Hey." Oliver quickly walked to her desk, a frown forming on his face. "Are you okay? You're very pale."

She crumbled the paper in her hands, trying to hide it, but she knew Oliver noticed. Felicity knew she needed to show it to him, but her fears were so strong, so powerful that she was unable to move or speak.

She was probably on the verge of a panic attack.

Oliver kneeled in front of her, one hand rested over her clenched hands and the other cupped her cheek. "Felicity, hey, look at me. Breathe." He instructed her. "Come on."

She took in a ragged breath and felt tears spill from her eyes. For the next few minutes, all he did was helping her breathe. When she was calm enough, he wiped away her tears.

"Talk to me, honey. What happened?" His voice was so soft and concerned.

He needed to know. _Immediately_.

Slowly she uncurled her fingers, revealing the piece of paper that was surely going to haunt her for a long time. Oliver gently took it from her hands, and she stared at his face, watching his reaction.

> _You should have left me alone. No one was going to get hurt._
> 
> _Now things have to change._
> 
> _I need you to restore my code. You won't say a word about it. You won't tell anyone._
> 
> _Especially not him._
> 
> _If you talk, I'll make you pay._
> 
> _Remember you have two very young reasons to follow my orders, and I know where to find them all the time._

Oliver's eyes were murderous as he read the letter a few times. Without a word, he helped Felicity to stand and led her toward the elevator. He grabbed his phone.

"Come on, John. Pick up." He mumbled.

After Mike's disappearance, John had been tasked to keep an eye on Ellie and Tommy, because Oliver and Felicity didn't want to risk another Isabel accident.

Apparently, their fears weren't unfounded.

They entered the elevator when the doors opened, Oliver's arm was still wrapped around her waist to support her, physically and emotionally. Felicity heard their friend answer the phone.

"John, are Ellie and Tommy with you?" Oliver asked without preamble.

" _Yes, Ellie is right in front of me. Tommy is being changed in the next room._ "

Felicity's heart started to beat faster. With trembling fingers, she grasped Oliver's wrist and pulled the phone closer.

"John, go check on him. And keep Ellie with you."

" _Okay._ " He said a little warily, then they listened as he moved. " _Hey, sweetie. Come on, let's go see your brother._ " He started to walk, kids yelling and laughing in the background. John whispered his next words, careful not to be heard by Ellie. " _Is everything okay?_ "

Oliver sighed. "We'll talk when we get there, for now just... just check on Tommy, please."

They heard a knock and then a door open on the other end of the line. " _And there is Tommy, freshly changed and with a toothless smile on his face._ "

They both let out relieved sighs. "Thank you, John. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."

" _Copy that._ "

Oliver put back his phone in his pocket and wrapped both of his arms around her. "They're okay." He whispered, reassuringly.

Felicity closed her eyes and held him tightly. "I'm sorry, Oliver."

"Shh, it's okay."

"No, it's not. It's my fault if he's threatening our family." She insisted.

"Hey..." Oliver pulled away and cradled her cheeks. "You did nothing wrong. On the contrary, you helped us save the company. Who knows what could have happened if important information fell into the wrong hands."

She was about to respond when the elevator doors finally opened.

"Let's go get our kids." Felicity told him, starting to walk down the corridor.

He caught up with her and rested a hand on her lower back. They entered the daycare and their eyes immediately found the three persons they were looking for. They quickly walked closer, and when they were within reach, John held out Tommy.

Felicity didn't waste time and took him in her arms. The four months old squealed excitedly in his mother's embrace as she held him close to her chest. Oliver picked up Ellie and pressed a kiss to her head.

Felicity looked at Oliver and their eyes met. They both knew they needed to do something to keep their kids safe.

→

The next few days were hard and tiring.

She was going to do anything to keep their children safe, but when Oliver proposed to send them hiding at a safe-house out of the city, it was a little too much. She refused.

They were facing a man in his fifties with a heart condition, she didn't think he was going to be a physical threat. 

She also knew that they couldn't underestimate him.

So when Oliver insisted on hiring over twenty men as a security team, she immediately agreed. They were all ex-military and had worked with John at some point in their lives, so Oliver and Felicity knew they could be trusted as they kept watch inside and outside their house 24/7.

→

The SCPD was taking too long to find Mike. It had been a month since the threatening message and they couldn't find him anywhere.

It was a month of Felicity staying at home, surrounded by guards as she took care of the kids, occasionally working on a few projects for QC. Oliver went to work and helped the police, giving them as much information as he could about Mike, his habits and everything else.

Oliver was doing something. Felicity felt useless.

That was how she found herself hacking the SCPD's servers one night, looking for something the police might have missed, something that might lead them to Mike and finally put an end to this nightmare.

For hours she hacked and searched, until Oliver returned home late.

"Hey." He greeted her with a tired smile.

"Hi." She barely glanced away from her laptop. The last bit of information she found keeping her focused on her work.

She vaguely heard Oliver tell the team they could check the other rooms, and they left.

Felicity disconnected from the SCPD's servers and saved everything she found before closing the laptop and put it on the coffee table. Oliver sat next to her on the couch, releasing a long breath.

"How was work?" Felicity asked.

"A mess. The board wanted to know if everything was under control and I had to arrange a few meetings to reassure our major investors and clients."

Oliver leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees, hands clasped together, his head hanging low. Felicity scooted closer and ran her hand over his back. 

He looked at her and smiled a little. "How are the kids?"

She smiled back. "Ellie tried to teach Tommy words like mommy, daddy, toys, and food."

"Did he learn anything?"

"He can say 'huh' when he's hungry, and 'gah' when he needs a new diaper."

Oliver closed his eyes and quietly laughed. Felicity chuckled too before turning serious.

"How did it go with the police?" She asked, even if she already knew the answer.

He sighed. "They have nothing. He's not using any of his credit cards or real documents, he's not visiting his usual places, no contacts with his friends or family. He's a ghost."

Felicity studied Oliver. He had dark circles under his eyes because of sleepless nights, the frown between his eyebrows seemed a constant feature on his face, and his cheeks were hollow, sign that he was skipping meals.

All because he was stressing about finding this man to keep his family safe.

Other than to keep her family safe, that was the other reason why she hacked the SCPD tonight. Because the situation was taking a toll on all of them, but for Oliver was worse. He was taking care of everyone else but himself.

"They should look in the Glades." She started.

Oliver nodded. "They think he could be there, but the area is too large. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"No, I mean..." Felicity took a deep breath. "Mike has a heart condition, he needs his medicine, and there's a pharmacy-"

Oliver shook his head. "They already looked into all the pharmacies of the city, inside and outside the Glades. No one asked for that specific medicine."

"They looked three weeks ago, only one week after he disappeared." Felicity explained. "He probably still had some, but six days ago there was a request at the one on the South. In the same area where there's an old liquor shop -which we know he loves- and an abandoned house. An abandoned house where there's been a very strange and very strong WiFi signal in the last month."

Oliver's frown deepened even more as he looked at her. "How do you know all of that?" Before she had a chance to reply he continued. "Did you hack the SCPD?"

"Yes, and the city's-"

" _Felicity!_ " Oliver shouted, making her flinch. He stood and faced her, his face angry. "Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking?"

"What?" His outburst left her speechless. Shaking her head, she stood too. "I was thinking about finding this guy, something the SCPD is clearly unable to do."

"Oh my..." Oliver ran his hands through his hair, his eyes wide in shock. "Do you realize you could get in trouble? If someone finds out, you could be arrested!"

"That won't happen, Oliver." She reassured him, trying to calm him down. "I was careful-"

"Mike found out when you hacked his computer. God, what if the police finds out you hacked them?" His voice continued to rise.

"Oliver, you'll wake up the kids."

"The kids... Did you even think about the kids when you hacked-"

"Of course I was thinking about them!" She yelled too, seeing how a calmer approach wasn't working. "I did it for them, and I did it for you."

"For me?" He scrunched up his face, not understanding what she was talking about.

"Yes, for you!"

"Felicity, I don't need protection." He stated.

"Not from external threats, but this thing is killing you!" She finally confessed one of her many worries. "You're getting sick because of him. You're barely sleeping and eating, all you do is work day and night to find him but every time you come up empty-handed. I can't bear to watch you like this. I _needed_ to do something."

Oliver shook his head. "This isn't about me, Felicity. What would happen to Tommy and Ellie if you get arrested? What would I do? What do you think I should tell them? I can't lose you to a madman, just like I can't lose you to prison."

"Again, that won't happen. If you'd just listen to what I'm saying-"

"Listen to what?" He blurted out. "To how you put your freedom at risk? I heard that loud and clear."

"I did not! I'm telling you that I've found him, and we should tell the police to look for him there, where he is hiding, _now_ , before he disappears again." Felicity tried to make him understand.

"And basically confess that you broke the law." He crossed his arms against his chest, looking away. "We can't do that."

"So what do we do? We let him run? Again? Oliver, this is our chance. Maybe it's our only chance to catch this guy. We can send an anonymous tip."

"It's too high of a risk." He insisted.

"It's about our children, Oliver!" His eyes found hers, and he finally held her stare. "This man threatened our kids, _our babies_. Tommy might not understand what's going on, but Ellie is starting to wonder why there are men roaming around the house the whole day, and why they need to search her bedroom before she goes to sleep. We are their parents, Oliver, we need to do everything we can do to protect them, physically and emotionally, even if it means risking our lives, one way or another."

"I can't let you take that risk."

"But it's okay if _you_ do? Oliver, you're not alone in this. This involves me too, and I'm right here with you." She was starting to lose her patience. "Why can't you see we finally have him?" Before he had the chance to reply, she continued. "This is happening because of me, it's my responsibility. I have to fix this."

"Felicity-"

"Tomorrow I'll inform the police about it. I won't let him get away. I certainly won't raise two kids with a threat looming over them, making them scared for the rest of their lives!"

As she finished her rant, Tommy started to cry in his bedroom.

They stared at each other for a long time, breathing heavily, until Felicity looked away from Oliver. She didn't want him to see the tears that were about to spill from her eyes.

He cleared his throat. "I'll go check on him." He told her quietly.

"No, I..." She took a deep breath. "I'll get him. He's probably hungry."

They both knew it was a lie, but Oliver didn't call her out on it. Instead, he let her go upstairs to their son.

She reached Tommy's crib and carefully took him, holding him in her arms and rocking him gently.

"It's ok, honey." Felicity whispered. "I'm here."

In just a few minutes Tommy calmed down. The same couldn't be said for her.

Looking down at their son, all she could see was Oliver. The nose, the profile, the piercing blue eyes. They were identical.

With their very recent fight fresh in her mind, Felicity couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She leaned against the wall and slid down, sitting on the floor. She hugged the baby against her chest as she quietly sobbed.

She didn't want to lose any of them, and Felicity knew she wasn't going to be arrested. Like she said, she was very careful. But what if her decision of taking matters into her own hands costed her Oliver's trust?

She knew it didn't make sense, that soon he was going to see why she did all of that and understand her reasoning, but she couldn't shake that fear.

She lost track of the time she sat there, cradling her son. When Felicity was sure she wasn't going to break down again, she slowly stood but when she tried to put down Tommy she found it impossible to do. She didn't want to leave him alone. She didn't want to leave either of her children alone. So she made her way to Ellie's bedroom.

The five-year-old was curled up in her bed, the white teddy bear was tightly clutched between her arms as a frown covered her face. Carefully, Felicity pulled the covers high up under her daughter's chin, leaned down to kiss her forehead before sitting at the foot of the bed with her back against the wall.

With her kids near her, Felicity tried to relax as much as she could. Sleep didn't come easily, every time she closed her eyes images of Tommy and Ellie being kidnapped or hurt haunted her. Those nightmares were frequent in the last month, but Oliver was always there to help her through them.

Tonight he wasn't. And she knew it was partially her fault.

At some point, she did fall asleep for a while, and briefly woke up when she felt warmth surround her, but something lulled her back to sleep.

Hours later, Tommy moved in his sleep, waking up Felicity in the process. It was still dark around them, but she noticed a blanket draped over her and Tommy. A few feet away from the bed, Oliver was asleep as he sat on the floor, arms crossed, with his back against the wall, just under the Robin Hood painting.

The sight made her heart clench.

They just argued, but he was still there, next to her and their children. Protecting them. Making them feel safe. Making them feel loved.

Felicity just sat there looking at him, until calm surrounded her at his presence and she fell asleep.

A warm hand on her arm woke her again. Her eyes opened a slit, the room was bathed in soft light. Oliver was kneeling in front of her, wearing a clean suit.

"What's going on?" She mumbled sleepily.

"It's early, you should sleep some more." He whispered, careful not to wake the kids. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm heading to QC."

She frowned. "Today? It's Saturday."

He sighed. "The board called in an emergency meeting. I have to go."

After a moment of hesitation she asked, "It's bad, isn't it?"

Oliver looked away for a second before answering. "I don't know." His eyes found hers again. "Call me if you need anything."

Felicity nodded, knowing that, unless it was an emergency, she wasn't going to bother him. Especially not when things at QC were so dire.

"And, Felicity... I need to know you won't do anything about what you found yesterday. At least not until we'll talk later."

She wanted to send that information to the SCPD as soon as possible, knowing that the more they waited the more likely Mike was going to disappear again.

"Please." Oliver's eyes were begging her to understand his need to wait, his fear of losing her.

She didn't want him to worry more than he already was, so she nodded. "Okay, I'll wait."

He closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

Oliver stood, leaned over Ellie and kissed her forehead before doing the same with Tommy, who was still sleeping in Felicity's arms. That was what he always did before leaving for work. Usually, after kissing the kids, he kissed her too, but after last night's argument they could both feel the tension between them, a kiss seemed almost wrong. So Oliver settled with a caress on her cheek and a barely-there smile before leaving the room.

→

Felicity was making breakfast when she heard Ellie's little feet shuffle on the floor behind her. She turned with a small smile, but that soon disappeared when she saw her daughter's distraught face.

Forgetting about breakfast, Felicity kneeled in front of Ellie, her hands cradling the girl's cheeks as her thumbs wiped away her tears.

"Hey, what's wrong, baby?"

Without a word, Ellie wrapped her arms around Felicity's neck, sobbing uncontrollably. After only a moment of shock, when she tried to understand what could have upset her so much, Felicity held Ellie close, her hands running over her daughter's back and through her hair trying to comfort her.

"Everything's okay, honey."

Ellie pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "Are you and daddy going to break up?"

Felicity's eyes widened. "What?" She whispered.

"Daddy always makes breakfast, but today you are." Ellie wept. "He's not home, and yesterday he wasn't home. When he was, he screamed and you screamed too." More tears spilled from her eyes. "My friend Jake said his parents always screamed, and now he lives with his mom and sees his dad only a few days a week." Ellie hugged her tightly once again. "I don't want to see daddy only a few days." She sobbed into Felicity's shoulder.

She was dumbfounded.

Felicity had no idea Ellie heard them last night, she thought she slept through it. And now she was thinking the worst.

Felicity knew exactly how her daughter was feeling, what she was thinking, because she had been in her place. Her parents fought a lot, and then one day her father didn't come back home. She was a little older than Ellie at the time, but her daughter was very smart, she knew something was going on.

Felicity also knew that her situation with Oliver was very different from what happened between her parents, and she needed to make sure Ellie stopped thinking that about her and Oliver.

"Oh, Ellie, no. That's not going to happen." Felicity tried to reassure her.

Ellie shook her head. "Daddy is not home. He never works on Saturdays."

"There was a problem he needed to solve, he went out early. He'll be home again tonight." She explained.

Felicity knew that even if they weren't on the same page at the moment, Oliver wasn't going to abandon them. He wasn't going to just dump everything because of a discussion. She had no doubts about that. Just like she knew that if more problems arose, then they were going to try and resolve them before taking drastic measures. They'd never ruin what they created in the blink of an eye or without fighting for each other and their family.

As Ellie continued to cry in her arms, Felicity did her best to reassure her, but she knew that Oliver needed to talk to her. She wasn't going to believe only Felicity's words, she needed her father's reassurance too.

She tried to think of a way to keep Ellie's mind occupied for a while, at least until Oliver got home. "Hey, wanna teach Tommy a few more words while we wait for daddy?"

Sniffling, Ellie nodded and that was how they spent their day. Felicity was able to keep her daughter calm and distracted, Tommy happy and unaware of what was going around him.

After Tommy was asleep in his crib, it was time to put Ellie to bed, Felicity tucked her in with a small smile.

"He's still not home." Ellie pointed out.

Felicity sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hand through her daughter's curly hair. "He's really busy with work. He'll be home tomorrow and he'll spend the whole day with you and Tommy."

"But not with you?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"With me too." Felicity corrected herself.

Ellie swallowed what was probably a lump in her throat. "You're not telling me a lie, right? Lies are bad."

Felicity smiled. "No, I'm not lying, sweetheart."

Her daughter's arm left the warmth of the covers and she held out her hand. "Pinky swear?" Ellie asked hopefully.

Felicity's smile widened at her innocence. She wrapped her finger around her daughter's.

"Pinky swear."

→

Oliver quietly closed the front door with a sigh.

Knowing he couldn't forget the day's events, even if he wanted to, he looked around the house. Everything was dark, except for a few lamps they let on for the security team, and Oliver guessed his family was already asleep. It was almost midnight, after all.

He decided to take a quick shower downstairs, not wanting to wake them up, and after putting on more comfortable clothes, he made his way upstairs.

Their bedroom was dark and empty, making him think Felicity was sleeping in Ellie's room again. He just hoped she wasn't putting distance between them after their fight.

He made his way to their daughter's room and quietly opened the door. Ellie was asleep in her bed, her breathing slow and steady. But no Felicity.

Oliver carefully walked closer and crouched next to the bed, gentle fingers pulling strands of hair away from her face. For a few moments, he just watched his daughter sleeping, thinking about just how much he missed her in the last few days.

When she let out a deep sigh Oliver decided to let her sleep in peace, so he stood and leaned over her. "Goodnight, baby girl." He whispered before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

He quietly made his way out of the room and went to the next. He stood just outside the door and took in the scene in front of him. Felicity had her back to him as she cradled a fussy Tommy, who was whining and moving in her arms.

"And here I thought you were too young to feel when something was wrong." He heard her whisper to their son.

_Something was wrong._

Oliver knew that, they both knew that. He just hoped it was something they could resolve quickly. He hated being at odds with her. Things like this never happened to them before, and that was why it hurt so much to feel the tension between them.

Tommy whined again, his soft cries sounding like a sentence.

"I know, honey. We all miss him."

Oliver's heart constricted at her words. Standing on the door like that made him feel an intruder, and after only a moment of hesitancy, he walked into the room, making sure to make some noise so he wouldn't scare Felicity.

When he was only a few feet behind her, she turned around and saw him.

"Hi." She whispered.

He gave her a small but sincere smile. "Hey."

Tommy must have heard him because he looked in his direction and with a whine he reached for him with his little hand.

"Having troubles getting him back to sleep?" He whispered, reaching out with his hands.

"Yeah, he's restless." She told him, carefully passing him the baby who settled in his arms. "He missed you."

Oliver sighed looking down at Tommy as the baby closed his eyes, snuggling close to him. "I missed him too. And I missed Ellie." He looked up at her. "And you."

Felicity let out a deep breath, and he noticed tears forming in her eyes. "We all missed you."

She looked tired, in her pajamas with dark circles under her eyes, her eyelids heavy, her hair fell down on her shoulders in different directions, as if she ran her hands through it quite a few times. She was still beautiful.

He didn't know how long they stood there, looking at each other, as he continued to gently rock Tommy until his breathing deepened, finally asleep.

Felicity quietly cleared her throat. "Oliver, we need to talk."

The words he dreaded to hear the most. He sighed. "I know."

She seemed unsure about where to start. "How did it go with the board?" His eyes closed on their own accord. "That bad?"

Oliver opened them again and looked into her concerned eyes. "Investors are worried Mike will hack our servers and get access to their contracts and personal information. The board says that if we don't catch him soon... Queen Consolidated might lose at least 43% of investors and clients."

Felicity's eyes widened. "Oh my god, Oliver... That- that could mean-"

"I know." His voice trembled at the prospect of the company on the edge of bankruptcy. Again.

Felicity walked closer to him and ran a comforting hand on his back. He felt tears pooling in his eyes, so he made his way to the crib and gently put Tommy down, covering him with the blankets and making sure he was comfortably asleep. He rested his hands on the edge of the crib and looked down at his son.

"I don't know what to do."

Felicity walked closer and her hand found his back again. "You know what we can do." She told him softly.

Oliver turned his head and looked at her. "I'm scared." He confessed.

"It's okay to be scared, I'm scared too." She said. "But I need you to trust me when I say that the police won't find out it was me. I've been extremely careful."

"I trust your abilities. And I trust _you_. But I'm terrified something might go wrong and I'll lose you and the kids." A tear spilled from his eye and Felicity went to cradle his cheek, but he shook his head. "I can't... I can't break down." He looked at Tommy again. "Like you said, he can sense when something is wrong."

Felicity held out her hand, an invitation. Oliver didn't hesitate and took her hand, entwining their fingers together.

She led him back to their bedroom and quietly closed the door behind them. She didn't bother turning on the lights, just led him to their bed where they sat down side by side, her right arm around his shoulders as her left hand ran along his arm.

"We're alone now." Felicity told him. "You don't have to hold in everything."

As soon as her words left her mouth, Oliver's tears started to run freely. She didn't say a word, just held him as he let his worries and fears take over.

"I'm sorry, Felicity." He breathed. "I feel like I'm failing you and the kids, and QC..."

"Hey, you're not." She ran her hand over his back in soothing circles. "You're not failing. This, the whole Mike thing... is not your responsibility and is out of your control. You can't take the blame for that."

"It's not your responsibility either." He told her, remembering her words from the previous night.

Felicity glanced away for a moment before looking at him again. "I thought about that and, rationally, I know you're right. But, had I been more careful that day-"

"He would have known anyway." Oliver reassured her. "He knew that as soon as you went back to work, you were going to find out everything. Maybe he planned for it too, who knows. Just don't blame yourself for that, please."

Looking at her, she didn't seem to have an answer to that. So he continued with another important thing he had to say.

"Felicity... I'm so sorry for how I spoke to you yesterday." He whispered. "I never wanted to yell at you. _Never_."

"It's not like I was quiet either." Felicity conceded.

"I was scared of losing you." Oliver stared deeply into her eyes. "It doesn't excuse my over-reaction, but that's the only reason why I, unintentionally, raised my voice. I didn't want to make you afraid of me. I just wanted you to know that I was terrified of losing you. I realize I expressed it in the wrong way."

"I understand that and I accept your apology, Oliver. And I am sorry-"

"You've got nothing to apologize for, Felicity." He reassured her.

"Yes, I do." She retorted. "I should have talked to you before doing anything, and I'm sorry for yelling back. But I'm worried about what this situation is doing to you."

"I'm fine." He automatically replied.

"No, you're not." She gently told him, running her hand over his back. "When was the last time you ate?" Oliver opened his mouth to reply but she stopped him. "A real meal."

He sighed. "I'm not sure."

"See? That's what I'm worried about. You're too focused on finding Mike, on QC, on me and the kids, but you're not taking care of yourself."

He looked down where her hand was resting on his arm, unable to answer to her because, even if he wasn't doing all of that on purpose, he knew she was right.

"Promise me tomorrow you'll start to take care of yourself again." Felicity pleaded him.

He looked at her again, her eyes beyond worried. Oliver's arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest, hugging her close.

"Okay, I promise." He whispered, placing a kiss against her temple.

Felicity sighed and he felt her relax in his embrace. "Thank you."

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "What are we going to do about Mike's location?"

Felicity pulled away enough to look at him in the eyes. "I want to send that information to the police." Oliver closed his eyes and felt her cradle his cheeks with her hands. "If I do that, they will catch him and we can go back to our normal life. No more guards 24/7, no more watching around every corner for a threat, no more hiding. The investors won't be afraid of information leaks, and QC won't lose them or the clients. Everything will be okay again, Oliver."

He opened his eyes again to look at her. Even in the darkness of the room, he could clearly see her confidence and determination. He took a deep breath.

"I need you to be 200% sure that no one, _no one_ will find any connection with you and use it against you." He told her firmly.

Felicity nodded. "I am sure. I'd never risk our children's safety like that. Not again."

With a sigh, he pulled her close again. "Okay. Tomorrow we'll do that."

For a few minutes, they just stayed like that, no words needed. But Oliver needed to be sure.

"Are we okay?"

She nodded against him. "I think we are. I mean, I have nothing against you..."

"Even if you slept in Ellie's bedroom?" He couldn't help but ask.

She shook her head. "It wasn't to stay away from you. After I went to check on Tommy I just couldn't leave the kids alone. I wanted to be with them."

Oliver sighed. "I understand that. That was why I went there too... and found you. I didn't want to leave the three of you alone."

"I guess that's something we'll never fight on."

"I hope we'll never fight, period." He kissed her head again. "I hate arguing with you."

"Me too." She agreed. "And we need to talk to Ellie about it."

Oliver frowned. "Ellie? Why?"

"She thinks we're going to break up."

He pulled away to look at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"She told me she heard us screaming last night. Then this morning I was making breakfast, something that you usually do. You weren't home, and she knows you don't work on Saturdays." Felicity explained. "She's too smart for her own good."

"But why does she think we'll break up?" He asked her.

"Because her friend's parents always fought, and now the kid lives with the mother and sees his father only a few days. Ellie told me she doesn't want to see you only a couple of days."

"I don't want that either." Oliver didn't hesitate to answer.

"I know, and I agree. I told her that's not going to happen, but I don't think she really believed me. We need to talk to her, _together_."

Oliver nodded. "We'll do that, first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good. She needs this kind of reassurance." Felicity said, sure of what she was talking about.

He ran his hands over her back. "Is this about your father leaving?" Oliver gently asked her.

She nodded against him. "I mean, I've come to terms with that a long time ago. But I worry about what is going through Ellie's mind right now." Felicity explained. "I remember that before my father left, he argued with my mother, a lot. Then one day he never came home. And for a long time I... I believed something was wrong with _me_ and that was the reason why he left. And I hated myself. I thought I was broken, that no one could or ever would love me."

Her voice broke and Oliver tightened his hold on her. "You are loved, Felicity. I love you, Ellie loves you, Tommy loves you. Our friends, your mother, we all love you."

She nodded, her hands gripping his shirt tightly. "I know that. But back then that was what I thought, and where my insecurities began. I don't want Ellie to ever think that about herself, especially if last night she heard us talking about her and Tommy. I don't want her to think we fought because of her."

"I don't want that either. And we'll make sure she'll never feel that way." Oliver reassured her.

"Okay." She whispered.

For a long time, they stayed like that. They didn't talk or move, just held each other. When Felicity started to fall asleep against him, Oliver carefully picked her up and laid her down under the covers before slipping in behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist and she snuggled close to him.

He thought she fell asleep, instead, he heard her quiet whisper.

"By the way... I love you too."

Oliver smiled for the first time in a while and pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head.

"Goodnight, my love."

→

Oliver ran his hand through her hair, smiling when she sighed in contentment.

"Wake up, princess." He whispered.

Ellie made a protesting sound and curled under the covers, her face pressed into her pillow. Oliver chuckled. She was just like her mother.

"Come on, baby girl." A single blue eye opened a slit. He smiled at her. "Hi, sweetie."

"Daddy." Ellie mumbled, still half asleep. She reached out with one arm and he picked her up, her head resting on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart." He told her while kissing her tangled hair. "To make up for that, I have a surprise for you."

"Really?"

"Yes." He confirmed as he walked down the stairs.

"What is it?" She asked, more awake than a few seconds before.

"I made a special breakfast for you."

"Pancakes with chocolate chips, and extra strawberries?" She asked hopefully.

Oliver laughed. "Yes, but there is more. The pancakes... are in the shape of Mickey Mouse."

She gasped and Oliver laughed even harder. He entered the kitchen and found Felicity at the counter, where she closed her laptop with a smile. He walked to her as she stood.

"All done?" He asked.

She nodded. "Everything went smoothly. Don't worry."

He briefly closed his eyes and let out a relieved breath. Oliver opened his eyes again and leaned down to give her a kiss.

He realized that was their first kiss after quite a few days. It was a simple, chaste kiss because Ellie was right there looking at them, but they both felt that it meant so much more.

They also decided together that Ellie needed to see they didn't have problems before they talked to her about what she told Felicity the previous day. So a small kiss in front of her was the right way to start this.

When they pulled away Felicity looked at her daughter, who was smiling at them. "Hi, Ellie." She raised on her tiptoes and kissed her cheek. "Did you sleep okay?"

Ellie nodded. "Yes, mommy. And daddy woke me up." Her face lit up at that.

"I know he did." She smiled at him. "And he made you breakfast."

Ellie nodded enthusiastically. "He made Mickey Mouse pancakes for me."

Felicity opened her mouth to say something, but they heard Tommy crying through the baby monitor. "And your brother is asking for his breakfast too. I'll go get him."

She left the room and went upstairs as Oliver put Ellie down on a chair, and he grabbed the plates with the food. Ellie began to eat with a small smile on her face, clearly happy with how her day started. With a matching smile, Oliver made two other plates for Felicity and himself, prepared a bottle for their little boy, and after a few minutes Felicity was back with Tommy in her arms.

When they were within reach Oliver leaned down and kissed their son's head. "Goodmorning, champion."

The baby let out a squeal and with a chuckle Felicity took the bottle from Oliver's outstretched hand. As she fed their son, Oliver stared at her with a smile on his face. He had really missed his family in the last few days, too focused on work and finding Mike, like Felicity pointed out.

After a few moments, Oliver got the feeling of being watched. Knowing it was Ellie that was looking at them both, probably trying to understand if something was still wrong with them, he turned around with a smile and went to sit in the chair next to her.

"Did you like your breakfast, Ellie?" He asked looking at her half-empty plate, just when Felicity sat next to him.

"Yes, daddy. It's the best breakfast ever." She told him with her mouth full.

Both him and Felicity laughed at that. "I'm glad you liked it."

They let her finish eating, and Tommy eagerly did the same with his bottle. Oliver and Felicity barely ate their breakfast, too worried about what they had to talk about to their daughter and afraid to say the wrong thing.

When Ellie was done, Oliver glanced at Felicity, who nodded encouragingly at him. He looked back at Ellie, and she was already watching them.

"Sweetheart... Mommy told me what happened yesterday." Their daughter looked down at her empty plate and Oliver's heart constricted at her sad expression. He scooted closer and grabbed her hand. "Hey, everything's okay. I understand your fear, it's normal you thought that after hearing what happened to your friend's parents. But, honey, mommy and I... that is not happening to us." She raised her eyes to look at him again. "I'm sorry you heard us raising our voices, we never wanted for you to assist to that."

Ellie looked at Felicity. "He's right." She confirmed. "And I'm sorry you got scared of us separating. But that is not happening. I promise."

"But you fought about something and it sounded very important and serious." Ellie whispered.

Oliver sighed. "It was, but... sometimes grown-ups deal with important matters in the wrong way. That's what happened the other night." His eyes found Felicity's. "We tried to resolve a problem on our own ways and failed to see that we needed to do that together." They looked at their daughter again. "And just because we fought over something, it doesn't mean we don't love each other anymore."

"On the contrary," Felicity continued, "we fight like that because it matters to us, because we love each other so much and we care if something is bothering the other."

Ellie was quiet for a few moments, deep in thought, before her eyes darted from both of her parents as she teared up. "So I don't have to choose with who I want to stay with most days?"

Oliver didn't waste time and picked her up, making her sit on his lap and holding her as close as he could. "No, baby girl. You won't have to do that."

With that reassurance, Ellie's tears started to quietly fall down her cheeks. Oliver's heart seized at that and he held her tightly.

Tommy whined in Felicity's arms and she did her best to not make him cry too. He really sensed when something was off.

Oliver helplessly looked at her. She was way better at this kind of speech than him.

When she was sure Tommy wasn't going to burst into tears, she scooted closer to him and Ellie and spoke to their daughter.

"Ellie, we can't promise you that we will stay together for the rest of our lives. There's no way to know what will happen in the future, so we don't have that kind of certainty."

Ellie swallowed hard and Oliver held her tightly, running his hands over her back. As much as he wanted to contradict Felicity on that, he knew that in the end she was right, there was no way to know what was going to happen.

"But we _want_ to stay together," she continued, "and we can promise you that we're going to do everything in our power to keep this family together and happy. Because we are strong on our own, but when we are together..." Felicity looked at him. "When we are together we're stronger than ever and nothing can come between us. Nothing and no one." She looked at Ellie again. "Together is when we are at our best. And, what is more important than anything else, we both want to stay with you and your brother."

"No one is leaving." Oliver reassured her.

Ellie closed her eyes and hugged him tightly, a relieved breath escaping her lips. "I miss our family time."

Oliver kissed the top or her head. "Then we're going to fix that. Today."

She looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"Yes." He told her with conviction.

Ellie was right, it had been too long from the last time they had some family time, and nothing and no one was going to stop them from having some of that today. For the next hours, they weren't going to worry about Mike or Queen Consolidated. They were going to just enjoy their time together.

"What do you want to do?" He asked her and Felicity, who was smiling at him. "Get an ice cream? Go see a movie? The park, the mall?"

Ellie's eyes lit up at everything he said, but then she looked at Felicity and Tommy. Her expression changed from excited to serene and happy.

"Can we stay at home, lay on the couch and watch _Tangled_ together?" She asked hopefully.

She wanted a normal day at home. With her family.

Oliver smiled. "Of course we can do that."

Ellie reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, daddy."

"You never have to thank me for spending time with you." He reassured her.

He heard Felicity sniffle, and with a glance at her, he silently asked her if she was okay. She quickly nodded and smiled at him.

"Can we start our family day this morning?" Ellie asked eagerly, making them both laugh.

"It already started, sweetie." Felicity reassured her.

"Why don't you play with Tommy a little while mommy and daddy clean up the kitchen?" Oliver asked her. "Then you two get dressed and we can watch as many movies you want."

Ellie nodded and jumped down his legs, he stood and Felicity passed him Tommy. He walked to Tommy's playpen and put him down, while Ellie sat on her little chair in front of him, already babbling about their toys.

Oliver went back to the kitchen, where Felicity was already putting the dishes in the sink, and he hugged her from behind. She leaned back and rested her head on his chest, smiling up at him.

"How do you think she took it?" He asked her quietly.

"I think it went pretty well. She seemed convinced we're not going to break up." Felicity whispered back.

Oliver kissed her temple. "And we are okay, right?"

She turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "I told you last night, I don't have problems with you. Do you have problems with me?"

"No." He was fast to answer.

"Then we are okay." She simply concluded. "I love you, Oliver. And I see the other night as an eye-opening rather than a problem to solve -which I think we already solved."

He nodded with a smile. "I love you too. And you're right... you usually are."

"I never get tired of hearing that."

Felicity laughed in his arms and Oliver felt whole for the first time in the last few weeks.

→

After they were done with the dishes, their kids dressed in comfortable clothes, and the security team keeping guard outside, they were ready for their day.

Ellie was sitting on the center of the couch, Felicity at her right, and Oliver was about to get Tommy from the playpen to sit with them when the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it." Felicity said.

Oliver froze mid-movement. Logically he knew that the guards outside would have notified them about an intruder, but part of him was afraid something bad could have happened. And the thought of letting Felicity answer the door alone unsettled him. Just because they were going to spend a normal day at home, it didn't mean the threat wasn't still out there.

"Ellie, we'll be right back. Can you keep company to Tommy while you wait?" He told her, already following Felicity's steps.

"Okay, but make it quick." She replied, scrambling down the couch to go to her brother.

Oliver quickly walked to the front door and saw Quentin Lance right outside. With his heart pounding in his chest, Oliver made his final steps and rested a hand on Felicity's shoulder, almost pulling her away from the man. He did take a step between them, though.

"Quentin, hi." Oliver started casually. "Is everything okay?"

"I have some news." The man told them. "Around an hour ago we arrested your ex-employee, Mike."

Oliver and Felicity exchanged a quick look. It was filled with both relief and fear.

"You did?" Felicity asked the man, who nodded.

"Yes. We received an anonymous tip about his location."

He saw Quentin give a pointed look at Felicity. His heart skipped a beat.

"An anonymous tip?" She asked, probably sensing Oliver's inability to speak at the moment.

"Yes, a couple of hours ago." He confirmed. "It contained information about suspicious activity in an abandoned house in the Glades, near a pharmacy where he bought his medicine not long ago."

"And you found him there." Oliver finally spoke.

"He was there and he was very surprised we found him. Told us he was convinced he was hiding pretty well. And he was... until this tip came in." Quentin continued, never looking away from Felicity, who shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

Oliver stepped in front of her even more.

"And do you know who sent that?" She asked.

Quentin smiled. "No. But I don't think that's important. It was probably someone who happened to pass by and thought it was weird to have such a strong WiFi signal coming from an abandoned house, and they got worried some hacker might have been hiding in there trying to scam people or something. Or maybe someone heard Mike order his strong medicine at the local pharmacy and then saw him at the liquor store nearby, they feared something might happen to the man so they played the good samaritan and informed the police about a possible man in danger. Who knows. Point is, we caught the man we were looking for and is all thanks to that person."

"And there won't be an investigation about it?" Oliver asked, his voice trembling.

"I don't see why we should look into it." Quentin told them calmly. "It was good intel, helped us with our investigation. It wasn't obstruction of justice, and it didn't involve any kind of illegal activity. Right?"

"Y-yeah, I... I guess you're right, Captain Lance." Felicity stuttered.

"That's what I thought too." Quentin smiled at them. After giving them a few seconds to breathe, he continued. "Anyway, we started to question our guy. He admitted of working alone, wanted to see if he could sell some private information about your clients and earn some easy money."

"Easy money... He won't get any kind of money for a long time, I hope." Felicity told the man.

"Well, he's under arrest and will end up in jail for quite a few years, what with the corporate espionage accuse, the threats he made against your family and the fact that he hacked half of the city's servers to hide from the SCPD... Yeah, he won't get any kind of money any time soon." He confirmed. He briefly checked his watch and looked at them again. "I'm sorry, I really have to go now. We're going to question him again and then take him to Iron Heights in a few hours. I just passed by to tell you in person, didn't think it was a conversation to have over the phone."

"Of course." Oliver told him, holding out his hand for the man to shake. "Thank you, Quentin. For everything." And he really meant that.

"I'm just doing my job." He reassured them.

"Thank you." Felicity half whispered, emotion evident in her voice.

Quentin smiled at them. "Take care of yourselves and your family, kids." He turned around and left.

Oliver closed the door and looked at Felicity. She had her eyes closed, silent tears fell down her cheeks but a small smile covered her lips. He pulled her close and let her rest her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her protectively.

"It's over." She whispered. "It's finally over and we can go back to our normal life."

"Our children are safe." Oliver kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. "And you are safe."

She sighed, her warm breath washing over him.

"Mommy... Daddy..." Came Ellie's voice from the living room. "I think Tommy is about to cry."

Sure enough, their son started to cry a second later. They both chuckled and pulled away, their eyes found each other.

"Let's go." He whispered. Felicity nodded. "We'll call QC and dismiss the security team later. For now, I just want to enjoy being with my family."

Felicity smiled. "Me too."

→

They spent the entire day on the couch. Oliver on the left side and Felicity on the right, their kids between them. They let Ellie decide whatever movie she wanted to watch, one after the other. Tommy didn't really care about what they were watching, but he did squeal excitedly whenever a song played and Ellie sang along.

It was almost dinner time, Tommy was falling asleep on Oliver's chest, Felicity was smiling as she watched their daughter enjoy her day. Ellie was watching _Tangled_ for the third time that day, but neither of them had the heart to tell her that maybe they could watch something else.

Ellie was sitting on the edge of the couch, singing quietly, as to not disturb her brother. She was a little off-key, but it didn't matter. He heard the words clearly.

> _Now she's here, suddenly I know._
> 
> _If she's here, it's crystal clear I'm where I'm meant to go._
> 
> _And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted._
> 
> _And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new._
> 
> _And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted._
> 
> _All at once, everything is different, now that I see you._

He didn't know when tears started to roll down his cheeks.

Years ago, Oliver would've never thought one day he'd be sitting on a couch, with a fiancée and their two kids next to him, watching Disney movies non-stop and eating junk food -Felicity's request, obviously.

But here he was, and as he looked at Felicity, the lyrics of the song in his head... He knew it was time.

Oliver reached out to take her left hand, his thumb brushing over her engagement ring. Felicity turned to look at him with a smile, but it soon disappeared when she saw his face.

"Oliver..." She whispered, but before she could continue, Oliver smiled at her.

"Will you marry me?" He quietly asked her.

→

They were just enjoying some free time together, Ellie and Tommy happy between them, and Oliver seemed happy too. But when she looked at him, tears were rolling down his face at the same time a smile appeared on his lips. And that question.

"What?" She whispered.

"Will you marry me?" He repeated.

Felicity could not control the little giggle that escaped her lips. "I'm pretty sure I've already answered that question." She told him, tightening her left hand in his. "But, Oliver, why are you crying? And why..."

"What are we waiting for?" He wondered. "We decided to wait after Tommy's birth before starting to plan everything, and..." He sighed. "Now we have the kids and they are happy. We are happy. You are here. I am here. And I feel like I'm where I'm meant to be. I would like to make it official and call you my wife."

Felicity felt tears pooling into her own eyes. She felt his words deep in her chest, a warmth spreading through her entire body.

"I want to call you my husband." She breathed.

The smile that spread on his face was stunning. "You still want to make it official?"

"Of course I want that. And you're right. We are all here now. The time couldn't be better."

Oliver closed his eyes and Felicity cupped his cheek with her free hand, wiping away his tears. When he opened his eyes again, he stared into her eyes.

"We don't have to rush it." He said. "You can take all the time you want to plan it, I don't care if it'll take us a couple of years. I just needed you to know that you will always be my light, Felicity. Always."

She leaned closer and placed her lips on his.

"I love you, Oliver. And we can start tomorrow to plan it if you want to."

"Whenever you want."

She smiled and nodded. He pulled her closer until she rested against his free side, Tommy on top of his chest on the other side. Felicity pulled Ellie back towards them, wrapping her arms around her daughter's body so she snuggled against her.

They watched the movie in silence for almost an entire minute, before Felicity whispered her next words in his ear.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you used a Disney song to propose to me for the second- well, the third time."

Oliver's laugh resounded in her ears, and she was at peace again.

→

**Author's Note:**

> So there we have it, the first one-shot.
> 
> I'm going to post another fic very soon about this universe, I think it's pretty interesting... and it's super-smutty!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!


End file.
